Writing About Myself – A blog entry from Ian Beaumont Live & Direct

So, this is something I don’t really do a lot of anywhere. In fact, I go out of my way to avoid talking about myself, on the blog, and indeed on the radio show. Why? Because if I did, I wouldn’t stop depressing everybody with my own depression.

I have recently been diagnosed with depression, a situation only made worse right now, by the current lockdown situation, which means I spend most of my days, stuck inside my own flat, with little real compulsion to engage with the outside world at all, and even less compulsion to do basic things such as look after myself.

I do manage to get out most days of the week, primarily because I work in a store that is still open during the lockdown because we sell essentials like food, cleaning products and other stuff. But even then, I utilise that time as well to do other things like shopping and my daily exercise. I then return to the flat, and basically shut myself away.

The only real solace I get is in producing radio shows for your enjoyment. Whether it’s talking about what’s grabbed my attention in the news this week, or playing a selection of music of my own choosing, providing some form of entertainment for you is one of the few highlights of my week.

But, and this is the reason for my writing this, it’s a lonely existence right now. I’m used to being at a studio with the rest of the Source FM team, mostly the Monday team of Jimmy Miller, Sam Bradbury, Bilko, Pagan Tony, and Broderick Ross. To suddenly be producing a bunch of shows in my own Live & Direct Operations Centre, aka my own home setup, without regular face to face contact with the team, has really made my depression and my mental health as a whole take a serious turn for the worst, and frankly I can’t wait for the day that I can get back in Source Towers with them, and have some fun with all of them.

But in the meantime, I’ll keep trying to entertain you, and hoping you’re enjoying it. Why not let me know what you think? Email me at ian@thesourcefm.co.uk or tweet me @ibliveanddirect. I’d love to hear from you.